Shared social asset in game

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for online game cooperation. One method includes an operation for receiving a first request from a first user to place a game asset in a first game board of the first user. The game asset is associated with a task to be performed in the game. Further, the method includes an operation for receiving a second request from a second user to place the game asset in a second game board of the second user. The first user and the second user make progress by interacting with the game asset in their respective game boards. When the first user or the second user receives a transactional reward for interacting with the game asset, the transactional reward is also given to the other user. A final reward is given to the first user and to the second user upon completion of the task.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to and thebenefit of patent application Ser. No. 15/455,902, filed on Mar. 10,2017; which is a continuation of and claims priority to and the benefitof patent application Ser. No. 13/748,434, filed on Jan. 23, 2013, bothof which are incorporated by reference in their entireties for allpurposes.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

The present embodiments relate to methods for executing games in adistributed environment, and more particularly, methods, systems, andcomputer programs for player cooperation in a game.

2. Description of the Related Art

Online games that allow players to interact with other players havebecome popular. Some online games, such as chess or bridge, have a smallnumber of players that play together at the same time. Other onlinegames, such as Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games, can have alarge number of players playing simultaneously. Online game operators,also referred to as social game operators, harness the power of onlinesocial networks, to design games that closely integrate the players'social graph data with their existing friendship connections.

In social MMO games, players collaborate in order to play the game andmake progress. Interactions between players tend to be burdensome,requiring a significant amount of effort and time to perform theseinteractions. For example, if the player wishes to visit a friend'sfarm, the game must exit the player's farm, load the friend's farm,perform game activities while in the friend's farm, exit the friend'sfarm, and reload the player's farm. This substantial effort is anobstacle that hinders online game interactions.

Additionally, some games provide challenges to players, where thechallenges entail the completion of one or more tasks within the game.Each player must perform the required tasks to complete the challenges.As the player completes each challenge, the player receives rewards andnew challenges are made available to continue the game.

In order to keep players engaged in the game, and to foster socialinteractions within the game, a system is desired that would enableeasier social interactions while improving the reward mechanismassociated with challenge completion.

It is in this context that embodiments arise.

SUMMARY

Methods, devices, systems, and computer programs are presented forplaying an online game and allowing player cooperation in the onlinegame. It should be appreciated that the present embodiments can beimplemented in numerous ways, such as a method, an apparatus, a system,a device, or a computer program on a computer readable medium. Severalembodiments are described below.

In one embodiment, a method for playing a game includes an operation forreceiving a first request from a first user to place a game asset in afirst game board of the first user. The game asset is associated with atask to be performed in the game. Further, the method includes anoperation for receiving a second request from a second user to place thegame asset in a second game board of the second user. The first user andthe second user make progress by interacting with the game asset intheir respective game boards. When the first user or the second userreceives a transactional reward for interacting with the game asset, thetransactional reward is also given to the other user. A final reward isgiven to the first user and to the second user upon completion of thetask

In another embodiment, a method for playing a game includes an operationfor receiving a first request from a first user to place a game asset ina first game board of the first user, where the game asset is associatedwith a task to be performed in the game. The first user makes progresstowards completing the task by interacting with the game asset in thefirst game board. Further, the method includes an operation fordetecting that a second user has accepted an invitation to cooperatewith the first user for interacting with the game asset, where thesecond user makes progress by interacting with a copy of the game assetin a second game board of the second user. A final reward from aplurality of possible final rewards is determined. Upon completion ofthe task, the determined final reward is provided to the first user andto the second user. Operations of the method are executed by aprocessor.

In yet another embodiment, a computer program embedded in anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium, when executed by one ormore processors, for playing a game, is provided. The computer programcomprises program instructions for receiving a first request from afirst user to place a game asset in a first game board of the firstuser, where the game asset is associated with a task to be performed inthe game. The first user makes progress towards completing the task byinteracting with the game asset in the first game board. The computerprogram further includes program instructions for receiving a secondrequest from a second user to place the game asset in a second gameboard of the second user, where the second user makes progress byinteracting with the game asset in the second game board. Further yet,the computer program includes program instructions for detecting thatone of the first user or the second user receives a transactional rewardfor interacting with the game asset and giving the transactional rewardto the other user in response to the detecting. The computer programfurther includes program instructions for providing a final reward tothe first user and the second user upon completion of the task.

Other aspects will become apparent from the following detaileddescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an interface for playing an online game, according to oneembodiment.

FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate a method and interface for obtaining and evolvinga social asset, according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate embodiments of the different growth stages for ashared social asset, according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate interfaces for crafting animal feed and formanaging social assets, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates an interface for inviting a friend to share a socialasset, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6A illustrates a method for sharing rewards, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 6B illustrates the different stages for the evolution of the socialasset, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6C illustrates an interface for obtaining the final reward,according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 7A-7B illustrate methods for calculating the final reward,according to one embodiment.

FIG. 8 illustrates interactions between client and server related toshared social assets, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an algorithm for playing a game, inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 10 illustrates an implementation of a Massively Multiplayer Online(MMO) infrastructure, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example network environment suitable forimplementing embodiments.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example computer system for implementingembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following embodiments describe methods, systems, and computerprograms for improving player cooperation in an online game. It will beapparent, that the present embodiments may be practiced without some orall of these specific details. In other instances, well known processoperations have not been described in detail in order not tounnecessarily obscure the present embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows an interface for playing an online game, according to oneembodiment. The embodiment of FIG. 1 shows a screen capture of the gameboard for the game Pioneer Trail, formerly known as FrontierVille,provided by Zynga Inc., the assignee of the present application. Theprinciples presented herein may be applied to other online games, aswell as to games that are not played online. In Pioneer Trail, eachplayer has her own game board, also referred to as a homestead, homeboard, etc., where each player performs game-relate activities. Inaddition, a player may visit the game board of other players, to performviral interactions in the game boards of the other players.

The Pioneer Trail is a simulation, role-playing video game available forplay on social networking sites. The player plays the role of a pioneerof the American old west and utilizes an avatar which resembles apioneer. The player may complete collections which may be traded forcoins, experience points (XP), decorations, livestock, trees, craftableitems, energy and horseshoes (rare money that can be bought with realmoney). The player may also finish goals which include tasks such asgathering money, buying energy, clearing land, chopping down trees,raising livestock and trees, creating items such as beds, furniture, andclobbering unwanted pests like bears, snakes, foxes and groundhogs.Eventually the player may acquire a spouse and have children.

Other tasks include collecting from buildings, building inns, wagons,general stores, cabins, schools, chicken coops, barns, trading posts,barber shops, churches, and sawmills as well as seeding, growing andharvesting crops. Coins enable the player to purchase decorations,buildings, crops, trees and animals. Horseshoes, which can be earnedin-game or purchased through real-world cash or credit, allow the playerto buy mules and horses, paint buckets, hand drills, nails, bricks,hammers, etc. These items are essential for completing certain goals.Friends may also “gift” some items to the player, which is referred toherein as a viral interaction.

Crops may be planted and must be harvested before they wither, and thecrops with longer maturation times provide larger payoffs. Harvestingmay trigger encounters with ground hogs, which must be “clobbered” toavoid using extra energy within their area of influence. Clobberingpests and harvesting crops yield coins, XP, and food. Food can be usedto get energy, which is necessary to perform some actions in the game.Energy can be purchased in exchange for food or horseshoes. When theplayer runs out of energy, the player must either purchase more energywith food or horseshoes, or wait for more energy to build up over time.

Animals may be purchased and harvested routinely for resources, or soldoutright for a large one-time reward. In one embodiment, the animalsstart out as juveniles and must be fed several times to grow intoadults. Players can also plant fruit trees, such as cherry, apple, pear,peach, apricot, etc., and their fruits may be collected when the treesreach maturity.

The game shown in FIG. 1 includes avatar 120, which can be manipulatedby the player, such as by clicking the mouse around the play area. Forexample, if the mouse is clicked somewhere far away from the avatar, theavatar is moved to the faraway place, unless the mouse is clicked onsome other game object that causes an in-game action (e.g., if the mouseis clicked on an animal, the avatar feeds the animal).

As the player advances in the game, the player acquires assets, whichcan take multiple forms. In one embodiment, assets include first virtualcurrency asset 102, second virtual currency 128, wood asset 104, foodasset 106, energy asset 108, sheep asset 122, haystack asset 124,dancing bear asset 126, badges, badge collections, temporally tieredlevels, bonuses, promotions, penalties, digital content (e.g., imagefiles, icons, audio files, video files), gifts, tokens, honor title,rewards, invitation permissions, avatars, rally points, diaries,footprints, trophies, competitions, engagement modes, user difficultymodes (e.g., novice, intermediate, expert), stars, medals, gems, pets,exploration quests, etc. Each asset can be used for one or morepurposes. For example, first virtual currency 102 can be used during thegame to make progress, also referred to herein as advancement. The firstvirtual currency 102 can be used to acquire assets (e.g., animals orcrops), to remove an obstacle in the game (e.g., enabling progress thatwould otherwise be blocked), or to complete a task (e.g., finishdecorating a house).

In one embodiment, the online game includes quests 112, which may alsobe referred to as missions, goals, challenges, etc. Each questidentifies one or more tasks that the player must complete before thequest is considered satisfied or finished. For example, a quest mayrequire three tasks: chopping down a tree, feeding an animal, andplanting an apple tree. Upon completion of the quest, the player isrewarded in some fashion, such as by getting a new asset, increasing theamount of energy, getting more virtual currency, etc. As the playercompletes tasks and quests, the game score 110 is increased, and as thegame score increases the experience level may also increase.

Clicking on inventory icon 116 causes the online game to display a listof all the items or assets owned by the player. In addition, clicking onmarketplace icon 118 takes the player to a virtual marketplace whereassets can be acquired. As described above, assets can be from withindifferent categories such as crops, trees, animals, buildings,decorations, energy, special items, weapons, etc. Each category includesa plurality of assets within the category. For example, the animalcategory includes ducks, chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, etc. Some of theitems within a category can be freely acquired by the player, whilepurchasing of some items can be blocked until certain game condition ismet, such as reaching some score, finishing a quest, purchasing theability to unblock the blocked item, etc.

In one embodiment, the online game is an online social game, whichleverages social relationships between the player and other online gameplayers socially linked to the player. For example, the player may add aneighbor to the game by inviting a friend from a social networking site.There are several online social networks run and maintained by variouscompanies, and any one of these companies can provide access to socialgraph data. Once a friend accepts being a neighbor, a socialrelationship is established in the game where the game played by theplayer and the game played by the neighbor can interact with each other.For example, the player may visit the home of the neighbor and performsome game activities therein, and will be rewarded for doing so. Some ofthe quests in the game may include social activities that promote theinteraction between players. For example, one quest may include plantingtomatoes in the neighbor's farm. Therefore, the social interaction canprovide advancement for the player and for the neighbor.

Embodiments presented herein allow a player to place a social asset 132in the player's game board. As used herein, a social asset is a gameasset that may be placed in the game boards of two or more players. Aplayer that has a social asset in her game board is able to interactwith the social asset without having to visit other player's gameboards. Each social asset is associated with the two or more playersthat have placed the social asset in their game boards, and the two ormore players are able to interact with the social asset independently ofthe interactions of the other players with the social asset. As usedherein, partners, or social-asset partners, are referred to as theplayers that have placed the social asset in their game board, i.e.,each player is a partner of the other players for the purpose ofperforming a task or quest associated with the social asset. The tasksor quest associated with the social asset is referred to herein as asocial asset task, or a social asset quest.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a player has placed a socialasset 132, which is a pig in one embodiment, in the game board. Fordescription purposes, the principles illustrated herein are presentedfor embodiments utilizing 2 partners cooperating to make progress for asocial asset. However, the principles presented herein are alsoapplicable to any number of partners (e.g., 3, 4, 5, etc.), and theembodiments illustrated should therefore not be interpreted to beexclusive or limiting, but rather exemplary or illustrative. In oneembodiment, the social asset may be developed by a single player withouthaving to partner with other players.

Associated with social asset 132, a progress bar 138 indicatesgraphically the progress made in the social asset task (e.g., reach aminimum weight for the pig), and a timer indicates the amount of timeleft to complete the social asset task. A partner icon 134 has twostates: a first state where no partner has been set, and a second statewhere one or more partners have been established. In the first state, agraphical icon (e.g., a question mark) indicates that no partner hasbeen chosen. A message 130 may be presented to the user to suggest theuser that the user may invite others to partner in the completion of thetask associated with the social asset.

In the second state, a different icon is presented, such as photographor icon associated with the partner. In one embodiment, the iconcorresponds to a profile picture of the partner in a social network.

It is noted that the embodiments illustrated in FIG. 1 are exemplary.Other embodiments may utilize different social assets, quests, socialinteractions, number of partners, social asset representation, etc. Theembodiments illustrated in FIG. 1 should therefore not be interpreted tobe exclusive or limiting, but rather exemplary or illustrative.

FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate a method and interface for obtaining and evolvinga social asset, according to one embodiment. FIG. 2A illustrates thebasic flow for the evolution of a social asset. Evolution of the socialasset, also referred to herein as development, is referred to as theprocess related to developing the social asset, from birth to completionof the social asset quest (i.e., operations 202, 204, 206, and 208 inFIG. 2A). It is noted that the social asset may also be involved inother game activities after the quest is completed (i.e., after theevolution process finishes), such as tending (e.g., feeding) the pig inthe game board.

In operation 202, the social asset is placed on the game board of theplayer. As described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2B, thepig may be acquired in the market, taken from inventory, or acquired insome other method supported by the game, such as by receiving a gift ora random reward, etc. After the player places the pig in the board, theplayer has to feed the pig to facilitate the pig growth.

Another way to obtain the social asset is by being invited to partnerwith another player that has already placed the social asset in herboard. In one embodiment, the social asset is free to partners, sincethe first partner already paid for the social asset. In otherembodiments, the partners are also asked to pay (e.g., with virtualcurrency) for adding the social asset to their game board, although thecost may be different or may be the same.

In some existing social games, players have viral interactions withother players that require a player to visit the board of anotherplayer. This usually takes a relatively large amount of time for aplayer, since the player has to select the option to visit the friend,load the game board of the friend, perform operations in the game boardof the friend, select to go back to the home board, and then load thehome board again. Embodiments allow players to perform viralinteractions via the social asset without having to visit the partners'boards, because each player has her own version of the social asset intheir own game board. The difference with other previous viralinteractions is that both partners get a copy of the social asset intheir own game board, and each partner may interact with the socialasset independently.

Additionally, the partners are working together towards achieving acommon goal. In some other viral interactions, a player has a game assetand a friend helps the player in some way, but the helper does not getthe same rewards as the player that has the asset in her board. Here,both players act together to achieve a common goal and both players getthe same reward, in one embodiment. This provides an incentive to worktogether and facilitate easy and quick viral interactions. The firstpartner has an incentive to invite others, in order to grow the pigfaster, and partners have the incentive to cooperate with the firstoriginal partner in order to obtain game rewards.

From operation 202, the method flows to operation 204, where hog chow(i.e., feed for the pig) is crafted. In one embodiment, the hog chow isnot directly available in the market, and the player must perform somequest to obtain the hog chow. For more details regarding crafting hogchow, see details provided below with reference to FIG. 4A. In otherembodiment (not shown), the hog chow is available in the market and theplayer may purchase the hog chow directly using virtual currency.

Once the player completes the quest to craft the hog chow, the playermay feed the pig in operation 206. From operation 206, the player may goback to operation 204 to obtain more hog chow and continue feeding thepig.

In one embodiment, the player has a limited amount of time to grow thepig, and once this time expires, the pig is ready to be weighed. Inother embodiments, the pig may also be ready to be weighed under otherconditions, such as when the pig has reached a predetermined minimumamount of weight, and the player selects the option to weigh the pig.

In operation 208, the pig is weighed and rewards are calculatedaccording to the final weight of the pig. Each partner weighs the pigseparately, but the final weight is the same for all the partners. Inaddition, the final reward (i.e., the reward given after the weigh in)is the same for all the partners.

From operation 208, the method flows to operation 210. At this stage,the social asset task has terminated. The social asset stays in theboard and may be interfaced with the player, in similar fashion to otherassets that the player has in the game board. For example, the playermay continue feeding the pig in order to obtain game rewards.

FIG. 2B illustrates an interface 216 for obtaining a social asset in amarket purchase interface, according to one embodiment. A player mayselect a social asset by visiting the market (e.g., option 118 in FIG.1). FIG. 2B illustrates a graphical user interface for buying a pig. Inone embodiment, there are several kinds of pigs that can be raised associal assets (e.g., Twilight Price Pig 214). Some social assets may berestricted and their availability being conditional on completing somegame quest or reaching a predetermined game level. For example, in theembodiment of FIG. 2B, Mocha Price Pig 212 requires that the playercompletes a game quest before being available to the player.

Each social asset has a price, which may be specified in some type ofvirtual currency. In some embodiments, there may be other conditions toacquire the pig, such as the expertise level of the player, etc. Oncethe player selects a social asset and pays the required price, theplayer is able to place the social asset in her game board. In addition,the player is able to invite a partner to raise the pig. In oneembodiment, partnering is optional because a player is able to raise thepig without having to partner with other players.

It is noted that the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2B is exemplary.Other embodiments may utilize different social assets and differenttasks. For example, the task may be one of raising an animal, harvestinga crop, building a structure, building a car, staffing a building or anenterprise (e.g., a franchise), building a manufactured article, solvinga puzzle, obtaining a collectible associated with a current event (e.g.,the Olympic Games, the Super Bowl, the World Series, etc.), completing achallenge, raising a unicorn, building a balloon, etc. The embodimentsillustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B should therefore not be interpreted to beexclusive or limiting, but rather exemplary or illustrative.

FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate embodiments of the different growth stages for ashared social asset, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, thepig evolution has four stages or states. At each stage, the iconassociated with the social asset changes in the game board to indicatethat the asset is evolving (e.g., the pig is growing). In anotherembodiment, there may be more intermediate stages for the growth of thepig. For example, in one embodiment, the size of the pig is related tothe weight of the pig, where the image of the pig gradually grows as thepig is fed and gains weight.

In one embodiment, the pig growth stages are: Petite 302, Pudgy 304,Portly 306, and Plum 308-310. In addition, at each stage the game mayprovide a different icon for the pig, thereby increasing variability andproviding an opportunity for collectors to obtain different types offinal pigs. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the fourth stage(Plump) has three different possible outcomes 308, 309, and 310.

In one embodiment, at the end of the social asset task a copy of thesocial asset is kept in the game. The copy kept in the game correspondsto the stage reached during the evolution of the social asset. Forexample, if a player only reaches the Pudgy 304 stage, a Pudgy pig willbe kept in the board. However, if the player reaches the fourth stage(Plump), one of the three Plump pigs will remain in the board. Sincethere are three possible outcomes, the player may repeat growing thesame social asset in order to collect the three different types of Plumppigs.

FIG. 3B illustrates the variability that may be achieved when raisingthe pig, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, there sixdifferent types of pig social assets (Classic, Cookiedough, Mocha,Butterscotch, Spicy, and Twilight), and each pig has three differentpossible outcomes at stage 4. Accordingly, for players that are able toreach stage 4, there are 18 possible prized pigs that may be acquiredand kept in the game board.

It is noted that the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3B areexemplary. Other embodiments may utilize different number of stages,different number of possible outcomes, different number of pigs, etc.The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3B should therefore not beinterpreted to be exclusive or limiting, but rather exemplary orillustrative.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate interfaces for crafting animal feed and formanaging social assets, according to one embodiment. As described above,a social asset quest identifies one or more game activities that theplayer must complete before the social asset quest is consideredsatisfied or finished. Once the social asset quest is completed, theplayer receives a reward.

In one embodiment, a game quest is defined to obtain an item required toevolve the social asset (e.g., hog chow). FIG. 4A illustrates a gamequest that requires completion of two tasks to obtain hog chow. Thefirst task is to ground corndog 2 times, and the second task is toobtain sugary shortening 3 times. The game defines how each task has tobe completed, which may involve spending virtual currency, askingfriends for help, completing a collection, etc. In the embodiment ofFIG. 4A, once the player completes both tasks the player obtains twounits of hog chow. In another embodiment, the player may obtain the hogchow by spending virtual currency, without having to complete thedefined tasks.

Once the player obtains the hog chow, the hog chow is added to inventoryand the player may use the hog chow to feed any of the pigs that aresocial assets in her game board.

FIG. 4B illustrates an interface for managing social assets (e.g., pigsocial assets), according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the pigmanager includes several tabs to select different options associatedwith the social asset. In one embodiment, the task includes “My Pigs”402 (to manage pigs owned by the player), “Pig” (to manage pigrequests), “Buy Pigs” (to access the market interface to buy pigs), and“Legacy Pigs” (to manage social asset pigs that have already beencompleted).

The interface of FIG. 4B is for the “My Pigs” 402 tab. Here, the playeris able to see the different pigs owned by the player, and informationassociated therewith, such as the name of the partner, the progress madeto date, the stage of the pig, an invitation to partner 404, aninvitation to start a new pig 406, completed pigs 408, etc.

FIG. 5 illustrates an interface for inviting a friend to share a socialasset, according to one embodiment. As discussed above, the social assetmay be used by a single player, or may be shared by two or more playersthat partner towards achieving the task associated with the socialasset.

In one embodiment, after the player acquires the social asset, theplayer is able to select the icon 502, placed above the social asset, toinvite one or more friends to partner. In other embodiments, the playermay also invite others to partner in the social asset manager 504 fromthe pig manager interface, as described above with reference to FIG. 4B.

Once the player selects the option to invite one or more partners, userinterface 506 is presented to the player. The interface provides theplayer with several options to select friends, such as listing allfriends in the social network, friends playing the same game, playersthat are friends in the game but not in the social network, friendsrecommended by the game, etc.

Once the player selects one or more friends to invite and clicks on thebutton “Send Shared Pig Request,” the game will send social networkrequests to the identified players. In one embodiment, requests appearas reminders in a notifications area in the social network. For example,the request may appear on the left panel of the social network webpage.Sometimes, the requests may be grouped by game. In one embodiment, eachrequest includes an icon, a name of the game or some other identifier,and a counter indicating how many different requests have beenoriginated in the corresponding game for this user.

It is noted that the other embodiments may utilize different methods forinviting partners. For example, the player may invite others via email,text message, placing a message in the social network feed, etc. Socialnetwork feeds appear in the feed section, and are posted by therequester in the requester's feed. Friends that have access to therequester's feed will see that the friend is asking to partner. In oneembodiment, the feed request includes: the name of the requester; atitle for the feed request; a message giving details of the help wantedby the friend; information about the feed (e.g., the time that the feedrequest was posted), and buttons to provide feedback on the feed.

If a friend accepts the invitation to become a partner, the game asksthe partner to place the asset in her own game board. The social assetin the partner's game board will have a profile picture of the friendthat invited the partner. This way, the partner knows who the partner iscooperating in the development of the social asset. Both players haveaccess to the social asset in their own game board, and both playerscontribute to the evolution of the social asset. The partners do notcompete with each other because the partners obtain the same rewards,independently of how much each partner contributes.

FIG. 6A illustrates a method for sharing rewards, according to oneembodiment. For description purposes regarding the embodiment of FIG.6A, there are two players, Player A and Player B, that have partnered toevolve a social asset. In operation 602, Player B feeds the pig. At alater time, when Player A logs 604 into the game, a message 606 isdisplayed to let Player A know that Player B has fed the pig. In anotherembodiment, the message is not displayed, and Player A may find outabout the activities of the partner in other ways, such as byinformational icons or messages displayed next to the social asset.

If Player A clicks on a shortcut placed by the message shown inoperation 606, the method flows to operation 608, where the focus of thegame board shifts to the social asset in order to let the player easilyinterface with the social asset. If the player does not select theshortcut, the method flows to operation 610. Also, the method flows tooperation 610 after operation 608.

In operation 610, an indicator is placed next to the social assetinforming Player A that the pig was fed by the partner. If Player Aclicks on the avatar of Player B or clicks on the shared asset, themethod flows to operation 612. In operation 612, an animation of PlayerB feeding the pig is displayed. If Player B has fed the pig severaltimes, the animation may be repeated several times. Also, if as a resultof the feeding by Player B the pig reaches the next growth stage, theicon of the pig will be updated to reflect that the pig is now in a newstage. In addition, if the pig reaches the final stage where the pig maybe weighed, the icon associated with the pig may also reflect that thepig is ready to be weighed to get the final reward.

In one embodiment, after the animation is completed the avatar of PlayerB disappears 614. In summary, Player A sees the progress made by thepartner and an animation is displayed to show how the partner fed thepig. Also, as a result of the animation, Player A gets the goobers andthe rewards associated with feeding the pig. In one embodiment, Player Agets the same rewards that Player B received for feeding the pig.

FIG. 6B illustrates the different stages for the evolution of the socialasset, according to one embodiment. The pig may be placed on the gameboard after being obtained in the market or from inventory 620, or thepig may be placed on the game board after accepting an invitation from apartner 622.

In one embodiment, there is a limited amount of time to raise the pig(e.g. a week, although other time periods are also possible). Forexample, the time to raise a pig may be a few hours, one or more days,several weeks, a month, several months, a year, etc. If the final stageis not reached within the allotted time the players get some rewards,but the rewards are not as good as the rewards obtained when the pig israised to completion (i.e., the pig reaches a minimum weight). Forexample, it is possible that a player places the pig in the game boardand does nothing about the pig; at the end, the player will get a rewardbut the reward will be small. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6B thereare 4 stages associated with the evolution of the pig. For descriptionpurposes, a stage is also referred to as a state.

In one embodiment, the first four states are the same states previouslydescribed above with reference to FIG. 3A: Petite 624, Pudgy 626, Portly628, and Plum 632. The player that first places the social asset in hergame board always starts at state 1. However, since a partner may joinat any time, the social asset may have already developed into otherstate different from the first state. Therefore, from operation 622, thepartner may go to either one of the different states 624, 626, 628, or632.

As the players feed the pig, the social asset evolves into more advancedstates, once the required weight for each state is obtained. In oneembodiment, since state 4 may have 3 different possible outcomes, inoperation 620 a random determination is made to select one of thepossible pigs for state 4.

At any of the different states, if the timer to evolve the social assetruns out, the method flows to operation 634 where the pig is ready to beweighed. Once the player selects to weigh the pig 638, rewards are givento the player in operation 640.

FIG. 6C illustrates an interface for obtaining the final reward,according to one embodiment. As used herein, the final reward is thereward given to a player when the social asset task ends. The socialasset task is over 642 when the time allocated to perform the socialasset task expires, or when a goal (e.g., reach a minimum weight, feedthe pig 20 times, etc.) defined in the social asset task is reached. Ofcourse, the social asset task may include a plurality of tasks or quests(e.g., feed the pig 15 times, where feeding the pig requires thecompletion of a quest to obtain pig feed—i.e., hog chow).

In one embodiment, when the social asset task ends an indicator ispresented to show that the social asset task has ended. For example, inthe embodiment of FIG. 6C, a button with the message “Weigh Pig” isprovided next to the social asset icon, but other buttons, indicators,or messages are also possible.

From operation 642, the method flows to operation 644 where the pig isweighed. In one embodiment, the pig is weighed when the user selects anoption to weigh the pig, but other triggers to weigh the pig are alsopossible. The final weight of the pig is proportional to the amount oftimes that the pig has been fed. This means, that the final reward isbased on the performance by the partners. More details regarding thecalculation of the final reward are given below with reference to FIGS.7A-7B.

In one embodiment, each partner weighs the pig in her own game board646, but all the partners get the same final weight and the same finalrewards, although the reward may be given at different times, dependingon when the partners collect their final reward. In one embodiment, thepartners also get the same final pig icon, but other embodiments mayassign different final pig icons to each of the players.

The final rewards may include different amounts of game assets, virtualcurrency, energy, etc. For example, the final rewards may include aBuffalo that may be placed in the game board, a cake, and a shortcut tospeed up growth of a fish, but other combinations of rewards are alsopossible.

In other embodiments, the final rewards are not the same for allpartners. For example, the final rewards may be proportional to thecontribution made by each of the partners. This encourages participationby the partners because the final reward will be based on actualparticipation in the social asset task.

After the social asset task ends, and after getting the final rewards,the partners keep a tendable version of the pay in the state reachedwhen the social asset task ended. Tendable, as used herein, refers tothe ability of the player to continue interacting with the social asset(e.g., feeding the pig).

FIGS. 7A-7B illustrate methods for calculating the final reward,according to one embodiment. As discussed above, the weight of the pigdetermines the final reward. This means that the more partners interactwith the pig, the bigger the rewards will be. This compels player tointeract more, which may translate into more virtual currency purchases.

FIG. 7A illustrates an embodiment for determining the final weight,which determines the final reward. In one embodiment, the final weightis determined according to the following equation:weight(P _(STATE) ,P _(ASSET) ,t _(ms) ,n _(chowFed))=f _(STATE)(P_(STATE))+f _(ASSET)(P _(ASSET))+f _(RAND)(P _(ASSET))+f _(TIME)(t_(ms))+n _(chowFed)

The final weight is a function of P_(STATE), P_(ASSET), t_(ms), andn_(chowFed), where P_(STATE) is the final state reached, P_(ASSET) isthe type of social asset (e.g., pig), t_(ms) is the time in millisecondsfrom beginning of the social asset task to the end of the social task,and n_(chowFed) is the number of times that the pig has been fed in thecurrent state. In addition, f_(STATE), f_(ASSET), f_(RAND), and f_(TIME)are functions dependent on their corresponding variables. In oneembodiment, f_(RAND) is a random function that provides a degree ofrandomness for the corresponding type of social asset.

It is noted that the embodiments illustrated in FIG. 7A are exemplary.Other embodiments may utilize different variables and/or functions. Theembodiments illustrated in FIG. 7A should therefore not be interpretedto be exclusive or limiting, but rather exemplary or illustrative.

In one embodiment, weight ranges are utilized to calculate the finalreward. After the pig is weighed, a prize tier is determined. The prizetier encompasses all pig weights between a minimum and a maximum weight.In the embodiment of FIG. 7B, the prize tier includes an integer partand a fractional part (i.e., digit following the decimal point). Theinteger part of the prize tier is equal to the state reached by the pig.For example, state 2 includes three ranges: 2.1 for weights between 100and 132 pounds; 2.2 for weights between 133 and 165 pounds; and 2.3 forweights between 166 and 199 pounds.

Once the prize tier is determined, the prices defined in the tier areawarded to the partners. In the embodiment of FIG. 7B, three prizes aregiven: Supplemental Prize A, Main Prize, and Supplemental Prize B.

It is noted that the embodiments illustrated in FIG. 7B are exemplary.Other embodiments may utilize different weight ranges, prizes, adifferent number of ranges, etc. The embodiments illustrated in FIG. 7Bshould therefore not be interpreted to be exclusive or limiting, butrather exemplary or illustrative.

FIG. 8 illustrates interactions between client and server related toshared social assets, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment,the online game is hosted by server 818, which includes a game manager820, and a social manager 822. A first player P₁ 804 plays the gameutilizing client device 802 executing a game computer program 806. Inone embodiment, the computer program 806 is a web browser, and inanother embodiment other computer programs may also be utilized to playthe game, such as a computer program loaded on a computing device forthe exclusive purpose of playing the game.

In one embodiment, the first player P₁ 804 has placed a social asset 808in the game 806. Another player P₄ 814 is playing the same game asplayer P₁ 804 in game 816. The player P₄ 814 has partnered with playerP₁ 804 to cooperate in game-related actions associated with the socialasset. The player P₄ has placed a second instance of the social asset810 in player P₄'s game board.

The game 806 interfaces with game server 818 to perform game operations,including game operations related to social assets. A social manager 822provides social information to game manager 820 (e.g., relationshipsestablished through a social network or within the game).

Game server 818 is associated with database 824 of user assets. Database824 includes the list of assets currently owned by each player, such asasset list 826 for player P₁. With each asset there is a list 828 ofattributes and parameters associated with the asset. In one embodiment,the list of assets includes an asset ID, asset type, asset name, assetcreation time, icon associated with the asset, a plurality of parametersdepending on the type of asset, a Boolean flag determining if the assetis the shared asset, a partner list (applicable only to share assets),etc.

When two players partner to develop a social asset, each player has aninstance of the social asset in the asset list, because each playerplaces the instance of the social asset in their own game board. In theexample of FIG. 8, player P₁ has a social asset SA₇, which is linked tothe same social asset implemented for player P₄ as SA₁₆.

It is noted that the embodiments illustrated in FIG. 8 are exemplary.Other embodiments may utilize different modules, computer programs,interactions, social asset implementations, database structures, etc.For example, in one embodiment, social assets are kept in a separatelist from the regular assets, and each social asset includes informationregarding the players having the social asset. The embodimentsillustrated in FIG. 8 should therefore not be interpreted to beexclusive or limiting, but rather exemplary or illustrative.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an algorithm for playing a game, inaccordance with one embodiment. In operation 102, a first request isreceived from a first user, the request being for placing a game assetin a first game board associated with the first user. The game asset isassociated with a social asset task to be performed in the game, and thefirst user makes progress towards completing the social asset task byinteracting with the game asset in the first game board.

From operation 802, the method flows to operation 904 where a secondrequest is received from the second user. The request is for placing thesame game asset in the second game board of the second user. The seconduser makes progress in the game by interacting with the game asset inher own second game.

From operation 904 the method flows to operation 906, where the gamedetects that one of the first user or the second user has received atransactional reward for interacting with the game asset. In oneembodiment, the transactional reward is given for feeding a pig. Inresponse to the detection, the game gives the same transactional rewardto the other user.

From operation 906, the method flows to operation 908 where, uponcompletion of the social asset task, a final reward is provided to thefirst user and to the second user.

FIG. 10 illustrates an implementation of an online game infrastructure,according to one embodiment. The online game infrastructure 476 includesone or more game servers 458, web servers (not shown), one or moresocial network management servers 462, and databases to store gamerelated information. In one embodiment, game server 458 provides a userinterface 460 for players 452 to play the online game. In oneembodiment, game server 458 includes a Web server for players 452 toaccess the game via web browser 454, but the Web server may also behosted in a server different from game server 458. Network 456interconnects players 452 with the one or more game servers 458.

Each game server 458 has access to one or more game databases 466 forkeeping game data. In addition, a single database can store game datafor one or more online games. Each game server 458 may also include oneor more levels of caching. Game data cache 464 is a game data cache forthe game data stored in game databases 466. For increased performance,caching may be performed in several levels of caching. For instance,data more frequently used is stored in a high priority cache, while datarequiring less access during a session will be cached and updated lessfrequently.

The number of game servers 458 changes over time, as the gaming platformis an extensible platform that changes the number of game serversaccording to the load on the gaming infrastructure. As a result, thenumber of game servers will be higher during peak playing times, and thenumber of game servers will be lower during off-peak hours. In oneembodiment, the increase or decrease of bandwidth is executedautomatically, based on current line usage or based on historical data.

One or more social network management servers 462 provide support forthe social features incorporated into the online games. The socialnetwork management servers 462 access social data 478 from one or moresocial networks 474 via Application Programming Interfaces (API) 472made available by the social network providers. An example of a socialnetwork is Facebook, but it is possible to have other embodimentsimplemented in other social networks. Each social network 474 includessocial data 478, and this social data 478, or a fraction of the socialdata, is made available via API 472. As in the case of the game servers,the number of social network management servers 462 that are active at apoint in time changes according to the load on the infrastructure. Asthe demand for social data increases, the number of social networkmanagement servers 462 increases. Social network management servers 462cache user data in database 468, and social data in database 470. Thesocial data may include the social networks where a player is present,the social relationships for the player, the frequency of interaction ofthe player with the social network and with other players, etc.Additionally, the user data kept in database 468 may include theplayer's name, demographics, e-mail, games played, frequency of accessto the game infrastructure, etc.

It is noted that the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10 is an exemplaryonline gaming infrastructure. Other embodiments may utilize differenttypes of servers, databases, APIs, etc., and the functionality ofseveral servers can be provided by a single server, or the functionalitycan be spread across a plurality of distributed servers. The embodimentillustrated in FIG. 10 should therefore not be interpreted to beexclusive or limiting, but rather exemplary or illustrative.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example network environment 550 suitable forimplementing embodiments. Network environment 550 includes a network 560coupling one or more servers 570 and one or more clients 580 to eachother. In particular embodiments, network 560 is an intranet, anextranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), awireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan areanetwork (MAN), a portion of the Internet, another network, or acombination of two or more such networks 560.

One or more links 552 couple a server 570 or a client 580 to network560. In particular embodiments, one or more links 552 each includes oneor more wired, wireless, or optical links 552. In particularembodiments, one or more links 552 each includes an intranet, anextranet, a VPN, a LAN, a WLAN, a WAN, a MAN, a portion of the Internet,or another link 552 or a combination of two or more such links 552.

Each server 570 may be a stand-alone server or may be a distributedserver spanning multiple computers or multiple datacenters. Servers 570may be of various types, such as, for example and without limitation,community server, web server, news server, mail server, message server,advertising server, file server, application server, exchange server,database server, or proxy server. Each server 570 may include hardware,software, embedded logic components, or a combination of two or moresuch components for carrying out the appropriate functionalitiesimplemented or supported by server 570. For example, a web server isgenerally capable of hosting websites containing web pages or particularelements of web pages. More specifically, a web server may hostHyperText Markup Language (HTML) files or other file types, or maydynamically create or constitute files upon a request, and communicatethem to clients 580 in response to Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) orother requests from clients 580. A mail server is generally capable ofproviding electronic mail services to various clients 580. A databaseserver is generally capable of providing an interface for managing datastored in one or more data stores.

In particular embodiments, one or more data storages 590 may becommunicatively linked to one or more severs 570 via one or more links552. Data storages 590 may be used to store various types ofinformation. The information stored in data storages 590 may beorganized according to specific data structures. In particularembodiments, each data storage 590 may be a relational database.Particular embodiments may provide interfaces that enable servers 570 orclients 580 to manage, e.g., retrieve, modify, add, or delete, theinformation stored in data storage 590.

In particular embodiments, each client 580 may be an electronic deviceincluding hardware, software, or embedded logic components or acombination of two or more such components and capable of carrying outthe appropriate functionalities implemented or supported by client 580.For example and without limitation, a client 580 may be a desktopcomputer system, a notebook computer system, a notebook computer system,a handheld electronic device, or a mobile telephone. A client 580 mayenable a network player at client 580 to access network 580. A client580 may enable its player to communicate with other players at otherclients 580. Further, each client 580 may be a computing device, such asa desktop computer or a work station, or a mobile device, such as anotebook computer, a network computer, or a smart telephone.

In particular embodiments, a client 580 may have a web browser 582, suchas Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Or Mozilla Firefox, andmay have one or more add-ons, plug-ins, or other extensions. A player atclient 580 may enter a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or other addressdirecting the web browser 582 to a server 570, and the web browser 582may generate a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request andcommunicate the HTTP request to server 570. Server 570 may accept theHTTP request and communicate to client 580 one or more Hyper Text MarkupLanguage (HTML) files responsive to the HTTP request. Client 580 mayrender a web page based on the HTML files from server 570 forpresentation to the user. The present disclosure contemplates anysuitable web page files. As an example and not by way of limitation, webpages may render from HTML files, Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language(XHTML) files, or Extensible Markup Language (XML) files, according toparticular needs. Such pages may also execute scripts such as, forexample and without limitation, those written in Javascript, Java,Microsoft Silverlight, combinations of markup language and scripts suchas AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML), and the like. Herein,reference to a web page encompasses one or more corresponding web pagefiles (which a browser may use to render the web page) and vice versa,where appropriate.

Web browser 582 may be adapted for the type of client 580 where the webbrowser executes. For example, a web browser residing on a desktopcomputer may differ (e.g., in functionalities) from a web browserresiding on a mobile device. A user of a social networking system mayaccess the website via web browser 582.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example computer system 650 for implementingembodiments. In particular embodiments, software running on one or morecomputer systems 650 performs one or more operations of one or moremethods described or illustrated herein or provides functionalitydescribed or illustrated herein. Although methods for implementingembodiments were described with a particular sequence of operations, itis noted that the method operations may be performed in different order,or the timing for the execution of operations may be adjusted, or theoperations may be performed in a distributed system by several entities,as long as the processing of the operations are performed in the desiredway.

As example and not by way of limitation, computer system 650 may be anembedded computer system, a system-on-chip (SOC), a single-boardcomputer system (SBC) (such as, for example, a computer-on-module (COM)or system-on-module (SOM)), a desktop computer system, a laptop ornotebook computer system, an interactive kiosk, a mainframe, a mesh ofcomputer systems, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant(PDA), a server, or a combination of two or more of these. Whereappropriate, computer system 650 may include one or more computersystems 650; be stand-alone or distributed; span multiple locations;span multiple machines; or reside in a cloud, which may include one ormore cloud components in one or more networks. The one or more computersystems 650 may perform in real time or in batch mode one or moreoperations of one or more methods described or illustrated herein.

In particular embodiments, computer system 650 includes a processor 652,memory 654, storage 656, an input/output (I/O) interface 658, acommunication interface 660, and a bus 662. Although this disclosuredescribes and illustrates a particular computer system having aparticular number of particular components in a particular arrangement,embodiments may be implemented with any suitable computer system havingany suitable number of any suitable components in any suitablearrangement.

In particular embodiments, processor 652 includes hardware for executinginstructions, such as those making up a computer program. As an exampleand not by way of limitation, to execute instructions, processor 652 mayretrieve (or fetch) the instructions from an internal register, aninternal cache, memory 654, or storage 656; decode and execute them; andthen write one or more results to an internal register, an internalcache, memory 654, or storage 656. The present disclosure contemplatesprocessor 652 including any suitable number of any suitable internalregisters, where appropriate. Where appropriate, processor 652 mayinclude one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs); be a multi-coreprocessor; or include one or more processors 652. Although thisdisclosure describes and illustrates a particular processor, thisdisclosure contemplates any suitable processor.

In particular embodiments, memory 654 includes main memory for storinginstructions for processor 652 to execute, or data that can bemanipulated by processor 652. As an example and not by way oflimitation, computer system 650 may load instructions from storage 656or another source (such as, for example, another computer system 650) tomemory 654. Processor 652 may then load the instructions from memory 654to an internal register or internal cache. During or after execution ofthe instructions, processor 652 may write one or more results (which maybe intermediate or final results) to the internal register or internalcache. Processor 652 may then write one or more of those results tomemory 654. One or more memory buses (which may each include an addressbus and a data bus) may couple processor 652 to memory 654. Bus 662 mayinclude one or more memory buses, as described below. One or more memorymanagement units (MMUs) reside between processor 652 and memory 654 andfacilitate accesses to memory 654 requested by processor 652. Memory 654includes random access memory (RAM).

As an example and not by way of limitation, storage 656 may include aHard Disk Drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive, flash memory, an opticaldisc, a magneto-optical disc, magnetic tape, or a Universal Serial Bus(USB) drive or a combination of two or more of these. Storage 656 mayinclude removable or non-removable (or fixed) media, where appropriate.In particular embodiments, storage 656 includes read-only memory (ROM).Where appropriate, this ROM may be mask-programmed ROM, programmable ROM(PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM),electrically alterable ROM (EAROM), or flash memory or a combination oftwo or more of these.

In particular embodiments, I/O interface 658 includes hardware,software, or both providing one or more interfaces for communicationbetween computer system 650 and one or more I/O devices. One or more ofthese I/O devices may enable communication between a person and computersystem 650. As an example and not by way of limitation, an I/O devicemay include a keyboard, keypad, microphone, monitor, mouse, printer,scanner, speaker, still camera, stylus, tablet, touch screen, trackball,video camera, another suitable I/O device or a combination of two ormore of these.

Communication interface 660 includes hardware, software, or bothproviding one or more interfaces for communication between computersystem 650 and one or more other computer systems 650 on one or morenetworks. As an example and not by way of limitation, communicationinterface 660 may include a network interface controller (NIC) ornetwork adapter for communicating with an Ethernet or other wire-basednetwork or a wireless NIC (WNIC) or wireless adapter for communicatingwith a wireless network, such as a WI-FI network. As an example,computer system 650 may communicate with a wireless PAN (WPAN) (such as,for example, a BLUETOOTH WPAN), a WI-FI network, a WI-MAX network, acellular telephone network (such as, for example, a Global System forMobile Communications (GSM) network), or other suitable wireless networkor a combination of two or more of these.

In particular embodiments, bus 662 includes hardware, software, or bothcoupling components of computer system 650 to each other. As an exampleand not by way of limitation, bus 662 may include an AcceleratedGraphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an Enhanced Industry StandardArchitecture (EISA) bus, a front-side bus (FSB), a HYPERTRANSPORT (HT)interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an INFINIBANDinterconnect, a low-pin-count (LPC) bus, a memory bus, a Micro ChannelArchitecture (MCA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, aPCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA)bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association local (VLB) bus, oranother suitable bus or a combination of two or more of these. Bus 662may include one or more buses 662, where appropriate. Although thisdisclosure describes and illustrates a particular bus, this disclosurecontemplates any suitable bus or interconnect.

Herein, reference to a computer-readable storage medium encompasses oneor more non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage mediapossessing structure that may store a computer program or data. As anexample and not by way of limitation, a computer-readable storage mediummay include a semiconductor-based or other integrated circuit (IC)(such, as for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or anapplication-specific IC (ASIC)), a hard disk, an HDD, a hybrid harddrive (HHD), an optical disc, an optical disc drive (ODD), amagneto-optical disc, a magneto-optical drive, a floppy disk, a floppydisk drive (FDD), magnetic tape, a holographic storage medium, asolid-state drive (SSD), a RAM-drive, a Secure Digital card, a SecureDigital drive, or another suitable computer-readable storage medium or acombination of two or more of these, where appropriate. Herein,reference to a computer-readable storage medium excludes any medium thatis not eligible for patent protection under 35 U.S.C. § 101.

One or more embodiments can also be fabricated as computer readable codeon a non-transitory computer readable medium. Herein, reference tosoftware may encompass one or more applications, bytecode, one or morecomputer programs, one or more executables, one or more instructions,logic, machine code, one or more scripts, or source code, and viceversa, where appropriate.

The present disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions,variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodimentsherein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for playing an online game, the methodcomprising: defining at a gaming server a game environment for each of aplurality of users participating in the online game, wherein each userparticipating in the online game views a respective instance of the gameenvironment; receiving at the gaming server from a first user a firstinteraction with a game asset in a first instance of the gameenvironment; receiving at the gaming server from a second user a secondinteraction with the game asset in a second instance of the gameenvironment, the game asset being shared across the first and secondinstances of the game environment by at least the first user and thesecond user; evolving the game asset based on the first interaction andthe second interaction, wherein the game asset that is evolved isviewable in the first instance of the game environment by the first userand in the second instance of the game environment by the second user.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the evolving the game asset includes:increasing a displayable size of the game asset in the first and secondinstances of the game environment.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein theevolving the game asset includes: cumulatively progressing towardscompletion of a task based on the first interaction and the secondinteraction with the game asset in the first and second instances of thegame environment, wherein the game asset is evolved after completion ofthe task.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the evolving the game assetincludes: cumulatively progressing towards completion of a quest basedon the first interaction and the second interaction with the game assetin the first and second instances of the game environment, wherein thegame asset is evolved after completion of the quest, wherein the questincludes a first task and a second task.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein the first user makes progress towards completing the quest byinteracting with the game asset in the first task, wherein the seconduser makes progress towards completing the quest by interacting with thegame asset in the second task.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: receiving a request from the second user to share the gameasset in response to an invitation from the first user to partner inevolving the game asset.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:detecting that the first user receives a transactional reward in thefirst instance of the game environment based on the first interactionwith the game asset; and giving the transactional reward to the seconduser in the second instance of the game environment.
 8. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium storing a computer program for playing anonline game, the computer-readable medium comprising: programinstructions for defining at a gaming server a game environment for eachof a plurality of users participating in the online game, wherein eachuser participating in the online game views a respective instance of thegame environment; program instructions for receiving at the gamingserver from a first user a first interaction with a game asset in afirst instance of the game environment; program instructions forreceiving at the gaming server from a second user a second interactionwith the game asset in a second instance of the game environment, thegame asset being shared across the first and second instances of thegame environment by at least the first user and the second user; programinstructions for evolving the game asset based on the first interactionand the second interaction, wherein the game asset that is evolved isviewable in the first instance of the game environment by the first userand in the second instance of the game environment by the second user.9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein theprogram instructions for evolving the game asset includes: programinstructions for increasing a displayable size of the game asset in thefirst and second instances of the game environment.
 10. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the programinstructions for evolving the game asset includes: program instructionsfor cumulatively progressing towards completion of a task based on thefirst interaction and the second interaction with the game asset in thefirst and second instances of the game environment, wherein the gameasset is evolved after completion of the task.
 11. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructionsfor evolving the game asset includes: program instructions forcumulatively progressing towards completion of a quest based on thefirst interaction and the second interaction with the game asset in thefirst and second instances of the game environment, wherein the gameasset is evolved after completion of the quest, wherein the questincludes a first task and a second task.
 12. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first user makesprogress towards completing the quest by interacting with the game assetin the first task, wherein the second user makes progress towardscompleting the quest by interacting with the game asset in the secondtask.
 13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8,further comprising: program instructions for receiving a request fromthe second user to share the game asset in response to an invitationfrom the first user to partner in evolving the game asset.
 14. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:program instructions for detecting that the first user receives atransactional reward in the first instance of the game environment basedon the first interaction with the game asset; and giving thetransactional reward to the second user in the second instance of thegame environment.
 15. A computer system comprising: a processor; andmemory coupled to the processor and having stored therein instructionsthat, if executed by the computer system, cause the computer system toexecute a method for playing an online game, the method comprising:defining at a gaming server a game environment for each of a pluralityof users participating in the online game, wherein each userparticipating in the online game views a respective instance of the gameenvironment; receiving at the gaming server from a first user a firstinteraction with a game asset in a first instance of the gameenvironment; receiving at the gaming server from a second user a secondinteraction with the game asset in a second instance of the gameenvironment, the game asset being shared across the first and secondinstances of the game environment by at least the first user and thesecond user; evolving the game asset based on the first interaction andthe second interaction, wherein the game asset that is evolved isviewable in the first instance of the game environment by the first userand in the second instance of the game environment by the second user.16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the evolving the game assetin the method includes: increasing a displayable size of the game assetin the first and second instances of the game environment.
 17. Thecomputer system of claim 15, wherein the evolving the game asset in themethod includes: cumulatively progressing towards completion of a taskbased on the first interaction and the second interaction with the gameasset in the first and second instances of the game environment, whereinthe game asset is evolved after completion of the task.
 18. The computersystem of claim 15, wherein the evolving the game asset in the methodincludes: cumulatively progressing towards completion of a quest basedon the first interaction and the second interaction with the game assetin the first and second instances of the game environment, wherein thegame asset is evolved after completion of the quest, wherein the questincludes a first task and a second task.
 19. The computer system ofclaim 18, wherein the first user makes progress towards completing thequest by interacting with the game asset in the first task, wherein thesecond user makes progress towards completing the quest by interactingwith the game asset in the second task.
 20. The computer system of claim15, the method further comprising: detecting that the first userreceives a transactional reward in the first instance of the gameenvironment based on the first interaction with the game asset; andgiving the transactional reward to the second user in the secondinstance of the game environment.